Dispensing machine

ABSTRACT

A dispensing machine for dispensing items of hot food comprises a freezer compartment for storing the items to be dispensed, a heating compartment, a dispensing location and a transport mechanism for receiving items from the freezer compartment, via the heating compartment, to the dispensing location. The transport mechanism has a flexible transport web to which the items to be dispensed are secured. Driving means advance the web from the freezer compartment to the dispensing location. The web has code markings on it indicating the positions of the food items on the web. A code reader reads the code markings, to control the driving means for advancing the web.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a dispensing machine for dispensingitems of hot food, comprising a freezer compartment for storing theitems to be dispensed, a heating compartment, a dispensing location anda transport mechanism for conveying items from the freezer compartment,via the heating compartment, to the dispensing location, the transportmechanism comprising a flexible transport web to which the items to bedispensed are secured and driving means for advancing the web from thefreezer compartment to the dispensing location.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A dispensing machine as described above is known from GB-A-996,039. Inthis machine, an oven that is open from above and below is locatedinside the freezer compartment. The transport mechanism includes a wheelwith a polygonal circumference positioned next to the top of the ovenand allows an item that is to be dispensed to drop under its own weightinto the oven when the wheel is rotated. After the item has been heated,it is severed from the transport web and allowed to fall under its ownweight into the dispensing location.

In the above machine, it is essential that the polygonal wheel bedimensioned such that its sides are of the same length as the distancebetween food items on the transport web. Consequently, the machinecannot readily accommodate food items of different size. A more seriousdisadvantage is that the web can only be indexed by a distance equal inlength to one side of the polygonal wheel as a result of which theheating compartment is obliged to be very near, or within, the freezercompartment, which is undesirable.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a hot food dispensingmachine in which the transport mechanism can permit a wide separation onthe web of the individual food items so that the freezer compartment andheating compartment can be distant from one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a dispensingmachine for dispensing items of hot food, comprising a freezercompartment for storing the items to be dispensed, a heatingcompartment, a dispensing location and a transport mechanism forconveying items from the freezer compartment, via the heatingcompartment, to the dispensing location, the transport mechanismcomprising a flexible transport web to which the items to be dispensedare secured and driving means for advancing the web from the freezercompartment to the dispensing location, characterised in that the webcarries code markings indicating the positions of the food items on theweb and in that a code reader is provided to read the code markings, thedriving means for advancing the web being operated in dependence uponthe output of the code reader.

The heating compartment in GB-A-996,039 is located within the freezercompartment. This is unavoidable in the latter patent because theindexing movement of the web is very short and the items must remainfrozen until such time as they are to be dispensed.

In the present invention, by contrast, any length of web can be usedbetween items and the web is simply advanced first until such time asthe item is located in the heating compartment, then until such time asthe item is separated from the web and dispensed.

In GB-A-996,039, the items are permanently secured to the web and aredispensed by cutting off a length of web with the food item secured toit. This requires the dispensing location also to be located near theheating compartment.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the food items arereleasably secured to the web, being for example lightly glued orstapled to the items. In this way pulling of the web away from thesurface of the items can be used to separate the items from the web atthe dispensing location allowing the web to be wound onto a take-up reelwhile the items slide under their own weight to the dispensing location.The dispensing location can therefore be positioned at will within themachine.

It is advantageous to provide additional code markings on the web, toidentify the product carried by the web. In this way, the cooking timeand price of the item can be read automatically from the web, avoidingthe need for the program of the machine to be modified when it isreplenished with a different product. Such code markings need only beprovided once on the web, on the leader or before the first item.

The leader of the web may also carry other information, for example asell-by date, to allow products to be dispensed in correct sequence andto avoid the sale of products after their sell-by date.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a webfor use in an automated hot food dispensing machine, the web havingsecured thereto items of food to be dispensed and having code markingsthereon to identify the positions of the items on the web.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference tothe accompanying drawings, which is a section through a dispensingmachine embodying the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the drawing, a dispensing machine 10 includes a freezer compartment12 having a base 12a, sides 12b, a loading door 12c and a top 12d. Anopening 12e in the top 12d of the freezer compartment can be opened andclosed by a door 12f that is mounted on a housing 14a of a microwaveoven 14. The housing 14a and the door 12f are movable in the directionof the arrow 15 towards and away from an inclined surface 14b that formsthe base of the microwave oven.

The dispensing location 16 of the machine has a chute 16a with a lid16b. The chute 16a is inclined in the opposite direction to the base 14bof the microwave oven and is connected to it by a curved ramp 16c . Theramp 16c is formed with a slot 16d through which a flexible web 22 usedto transport the items to be dispensed is threaded onto a take-up reel18.

Within the freezer compartment 12 the items 20 to be dispensed arearranged in boxes 24. All the items within a box are secured to theflexible web 22 that is fan folded into the box 24. The connectionbetween the web and the individual items preferably takes the form of anH-shaped plastics staple that is inserted into holes in the web 22 andthe items 20. Similar staples are often used to attach labels toarticles of clothing.

The web 22 carries code markings that are readable by an optical decoder26 located near the take-up reel 18. These code markings, which may bebar codes punched holes or any other form of machine recognisablemarkings, indicate the position of the next item on the web. Thisinformation is used in controlling the mechanism transporting the itemsthrough the various stations in the machine to ensure that the microwaveoven is not operated when empty and to ensure that an item has beencorrectly dispensed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the take-up reel 18 acts as the advancingmechanism. The web 22 is pulled out of the freezer compartment 12,through the microwave oven 14 and over the ramp 16c by a motor drivingthe take-up reel 18. In this case, because the diameter of the roll onthe take-up reel 18 is constantly increasing, one cannot simply rotatethe reel by the same number of turns in each operating cycle. Insteadthe motor driving the take-up reel is controlled in dependence upon theposition information read from the web 22 by the decoder 26.

The proposed construction of the dispensing machine has severaladvantages apart from the simplification of the control of the advancingmechanism. A simple automated process may be used to punch holes in theweb 22 and to place the code markings on the web. This ensures that theposition of every food item 20 is correctly known from reading the codemarkings. The spacing between articles can therefore be varied at willto accommodate items of different sizes within the same machine andusing the same advancing mechanism. Furthermore, if a code marking iscorrectly recognised then it is known that there will be a food item inthe oven 14 when it is switched on and there will be no risk of damagingthe oven by operating it while it is empty. Lastly, because the web mustcome away from the item before it can be rolled onto the take-up reel18, there is no risk of a cycle being completed without the item of foodbeing dispensed to the machine operator.

The code markings may also contain information to identify the type ofarticle supported on the web. Such code markings can allow the heatingtime in the oven and the sale price to be set appropriately. Because aweb will always carry items of the same type, it is not essential torepeat this information for each item and it suffices for such markingsto be placed on a leader that is used to thread the web through themachine 10. Such marking of the webs avoids the need for the machine tobe reprogrammed when it is replenished.

Because the take-up reel is used to pull the web through the variousstations in the machine, the width of the web may be less than the widthof the food items. Typically, a 3 cm strip of plasticised paper (spunbonded olefin--as used in untearable envelopes) may be used regardlessof the shape and the weight of the food items. It would however bealternatively possible to use a web wider than the food items in whichcase the web may have sprocket holes and be driven by sprocket engagingthese holes.

When using a narrow web to support the items to be dispensed, it ispossible for the web to twist under the weight of the food item 20.However, as can be seen from the drawings, the item suspended in thefreezer compartment tends to hang with its centre of gravity beneath theedge of the opening 12e and in this position it lies in the correctorientation to enter the oven 14 the correct way up and when it laterreaches the positions in the oven 14 and on the dispensing chute 16ashown in dotted lines in the drawings it lies the right way up above theweb 22. With certain types of item, such as pizzas, it is vital thatthey should be kept the right way up during cooking and this is achievedin the described embodiment without the need to take any specialmeasures and by relying entirely on gravity to orient the food items 20before they enter the oven 14.

The illustrated machine 10 has two boxes or cartridges 24 arranged onein front of the other when viewed from the direction of the front of themachine. The machine 10 may have several rows of boxes 24 arranged sideby side. The boxes in the different rows may contain different items offood to be dispensed either in the same or a different operating cycle.For example, one item may be a hamburger and the other potato chips thatare dispensed at the same time. Alternatively, the operator may beoffered a choice of a hamburger, a hot dog and cheeseburger to bedispensed in different operating cycles.

The oven is conveniently common to a number of rows of boxes in thefreezer compartment, this being the less expensive construction but itwould be alternatively possible to provide separate ovens. If itemsrequiring different heating times are to be dispensed in the sameoperating cycle, it would be possible to interrupt the heating of thefirst item to allow the second item to be introduced at a later timeinto the oven.

As shown in the drawing, within a row of boxes the webs 22 are connectedto one another, the tail of one being connected to the leader of thenext. The tail may also carry code markings to indicate that the end ofthe box has been reached. If the leader of the next box can be connectedto the tail of the previous box ahead of the end of web marker, theencoder can determine if the end of the web has been reached or if afresh box of items has been added to the freezer compartment.

The food items are illustrated as being stored in boxes that arearranged one in front of the other in the freezer compartment 12. Thismakes it difficult in practice to load boxes because the empty box atthe back of the freezer compartment must somehow be removed. In apreferred alternative embodiment, the food items are packaged in asleeve open at both ends that can be pulled out after the items havebeen loaded into the freezer compartment 12 leaving only the unboxedfood items in the freezer. With such a construction, fresh food itemscan be added either in front of or beneath items already in the freezer.In the latter case, a spatula may be provided to raise the items alreadypresent in the freezer as the fresh items are being added beneath them.

The operation of the machine will be clear from the foregoingdescription of its construction. After an operator has selected and paidfor a food item, the oven housing 14a is moved in the direction of thearrow 15 to open the oven 14 and the freezer compartment 12. The web 22is advanced by turning the take-up reel 18 until the code markings onthe web 22 indicate through the decoder 26 that the food item 20 hasmoved out of the freezer compartment and is now located in the oven 14.The housing 14a is then lowered and the oven 14 is operated in order toheat the food item or items. When the heating is completed, the oven isagain opened by raising the housing 14a and the web 22 is advanced untilthe item is pulled over the ramp 16c and separated from the web 22 atthe slot 16d. The heated food item 20 is then collected by the operatorfrom the chute 16a after the lid 16b has been opened manually.

It will be clear that various modifications can be made to the describedmachine. For example, the design of the door 12f closing the opening 12ein the top of the freezer compartment 12 may be modified to include aflap that opens automatically as an item is pulled through the opening.This is advantageous in that the freezer compartment will then not beopened unnecessarily when the oven housing 14a is raised to allow theheated food item to pass out of the oven 14 to the dispensing location16. Also, such a flap will tend to seal around the web when the freezercompartment is closed.

The code markings on the webs may also include other information such asa sell-by date to avoid dispensing stale items or to ensure that itemsare sold in the safest sequence.

I claim:
 1. A dispensing machine for dispensing items of hot food,comprising:a freezer compartment for storing the items to be dispensed,a heating compartment, a dispensing location, and a transport mechanismfor conveying items from the freezer compartment, via the heatingcompartment, to the dispensing location, the transport mechanismcomprising a flexible transport web to which the items to be dispensedare secured and driving means for advancing the web from the freezercompartment to the dispensing location, wherein the web carries codemarkings indicating the positions of the food items on the web and inthat a code reader is provided to read the code markings, the drivingmeans for advancing the web being operated in dependence upon the outputof the code reader.
 2. A dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1,wherein the food items are releasably secured to the web.
 3. Adispensing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the food items arestapled to the web using H-shaped plastics staples passing through holesin the items and in the web.
 4. A dispensing machine as claimed in claim1, wherein additional code markings on the web are provided to identifythe product carried by the web.
 5. A dispensing machine as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the leader of the web carries code markings to indicatethe sell-by date of the items secured to the web.
 6. A dispensingmachine as claimed in claim 2, wherein additional code markings on theweb are provided to identify the product carried by the web.
 7. Adispensing machine as claimed in claim 3, wherein additional codemarkings on the web are provided to identify the product carried by theweb.
 8. A dispensing machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the leaderof the web carries code markings to indicate the sell-by date of theitems secured to the web.
 9. A dispensing machine as claimed in claim 3,wherein the leader of the web carries code markings to indicate thesell-by date of the items secured to the web.
 10. A dispensing machineas claimed in claim 4, wherein the leader of the web carries codemarkings to indicate the sell-by date of the items secured to the web.11. A web for use in an automated hot food dispensing machine, the webhaving releasably secured thereto items of food to be dispensed andhaving code markings thereon to identify the positions of the food itemson the web, the web being narrower than the food items secured thereto.12. A web as claimed in claim 11, wherein additional code markings onthe web are provided to identify the product carried by the web.
 13. Aweb as claimed in claim 11, wherein the leader of the web carries codemarking to indicate the sell-by date of the items secured to the web.14. A web as claimed in claim 11, wherein the web comprises a strip of aplasticised strip.
 15. A web as claimed in claim 12, wherein the leaderof the web carries code marking to indicate the sell-by date of theitems secured to the web.
 16. A web as claimed in claim 12, wherein theweb is formed of a plasticised strip.
 17. A web as claimed in claim 13,wherein the web is formed of a plasticised strip.